FORUMS > Bradford Bulls > How Did You Become a Bulls (or Northern) Fan? |
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28029_1671444168.jpg Don't think i'm biased...
...i'm just very narrow minded!!!!!!!:d7dc4b20b2c2dd7b76ac6eac29d5604e_28029.jpg |
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| I started going because my Grandparents and Auntie were season ticket holders. I think I got one free so my Dad started taking me 1990/91 season.
The first season I can really remember was 93 when we signed Paul Newlove. Used to stand at that time on the 3rd corner at Rooley Lane end of the ground. We stood with my Aunties friends which was great as they kept me warm with hot Bovril at half time!!!
Used to also go watch speedway on a Saturday night and would go down Sunday morning to help put the corners down for the afternoon Northern game. As an 8year old I loved it as I was the only kid and it meant I could walk pitchside. Don't think it would be allowed now with H&S laws.
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International Star | 2524 | |
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Feb 2011 | 14 years | |
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Black Backgrounds/Earl%20Sinclair.gif Veni, Vidi, Spurius brutus detruncavi
I came, I saw, I tore the thick b4st4rds limb from limb
Bradford Bulls - the polished turds of SL since 2012:Black Backgrounds/Earl%20Sinclair.gif |
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| Some long love affairs going on here, mines quite a lot shorter.
Lancashire born and raised, no Yorkshire blood in me but Bradford has always been my team, first match was the Grand final in 2002 when I was 13 (I think) when a Sean Long DG earned a win for Saints, then quite sporadic after that for a few years with games here and there, then the GF in 2005 was the next game I remember.
Since about 2008 I have been ever present, could be my bad luck we started to go down hill since then, best memory is the 22-20 win over wigan in 2010, missed some games here and there but ive always tried to make it.
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International Star | 418 | No Team Selected |
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Mar 2013 | 12 years | |
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| Quote: Errol Stock "Amazing BeechwoodBull! I have used Errol Stock as a sign on for the Totalrl.com/forums since 1995 and only one person on there ever knew of him (he asked if I was really him).
I also use it on Twitter - but on there it will never be picked up on.
So you are the first and only person who shares my memory to a tee (at least online). Errol Stock was my first ever true life hero, an excellent fullback who made an immediate impact on his arrival. When games were played with a smattering of snow on the pitch, both he and Garth Budge stood out a mile (sun tanned legs you see!). I think Garth Budge still watches most games - or at least when I saw him last at the back of the "new stand" a couple of years ago.
Some may class us as ancient - but as far as I am concerned - completely on the ball
Quite right Errol was a hero of his day, as was Garth Budge. As an aside we read today in the Brighouse echo that Connie Womersley, Harry's wife and Garth's mother in law has died aged 88. A nice lady and a nice family!
So my first game was in the 50s and it came about due to me and my mates being speedway fans also, we were part of a team of youngsters who moved the corners after the Rugby and as a payment we had free admission to both the Rugby and the speedway. My father took me to see Northern before then. He was a friend of Alan Edwards and a great Northern Supporter. You might say Northern and the Bulls are my passion and over the years I have had the privilege of knowing many of our past and present players, and backroom staff, the icon that often drove me to go the extra mile was of course Trevor Foster, who never took a backward step, and maintained that giving in was never an option. So isn't it great that we supporters didn't give in and we still have a good team to follow.
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Club Coach | 1386 | |
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Apr 2005 | 20 years | |
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14426.gif [img:b0x4g8gh]Http://trakt.tv/user/Bullsboy/widgets/watched/all-thin-fanart.jpg[/img:b0x4g8gh]:14426.gif |
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| Growing up in the East Midlands, rugby meant Union and more pertinently it meant it was too muddy to play football.
I never took any interest in either code until I met some friends through going camping who were Bulls fanatics. This was in 2004. One afternoon in 2005 we were visiting them and they asked if we'd like to tag along to a match (Fev away in the cup). After about 15 minutes I was hooked. I went to pretty much every game that season including Old Trafford.
Season ticket holder for a few seasons until life got in the way but I still get to as many games as I can despite the 160 mile round trip. I'm looking forward to seeing a few new venues this year as well as hopefully seeing us get back to winning ways
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International Chairman | 28357 | |
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Feb 2002 | 23 years | |
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973_1515165968.gif Last edited by Ferocious Aardvark on stardate Jun 26, 3013 11:27 am, edited 48,562,867,458,300,023 times in total:d7dc4b20b2c2dd7b76ac6eac29d5604e_973.gif |
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| Quote: AJW "... One afternoon in 2005 we were visiting them and they asked if we'd like to tag along to a match (Fev away in the cup). After about 15 minutes I was hooked. ..'"
I must say that watching your first game somewhere like Post Office Road must be truly mind-blowing, as you stand so close to the play, you can almost feel the hits, the players look huge, and you can hear the impacts and get a far better impression of the speed and especially the sheer physicality of the game.
I converted to the Bulls when Bradford Park Avenue were kicked out of the football league. Switching to the enemy was totally out of the question, so with a couple of mates we switched to full-time Northern fans, though I had been to plenty of games at odsal before, but that season we started going to away games and I think it was mainly the breathtaking impression that the game made on me at close quarters at places like Fev or Thrum Hall that got me hooked.
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Feb 2007 | 18 years | |
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| Always enjoyed the game on the BBC as a kid, but coming from a Southern football family, I never got around to choosing a team. Usually, my innate sense of supporting underdogs meant cheering for whoever was playing Wigan.
Moved to Bradford for university in 1993 and went to see my first game (Wigan in the fog) that year. Got to quite a few games during that time, moved to France, and then back and got to more.
I'm long gone from the area now and get to the odd match. Love and admire the whole sport (I never played, but did play union), but it's always been my second love, behind football.
I'm often jealous of all of your histories with the club and your immersion from early ages. I wish I had that affinity (it's so much more admirable than football), but I suppose the flip side is that the last few years haven't cut me as deep as most of you.
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Player Coach | 4035 | |
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Dec 2006 | 18 years | |
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30148_1289234681.jpg :d7dc4b20b2c2dd7b76ac6eac29d5604e_30148.jpg |
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| Its always just been kinda what my family does, my great grandad went pre war, took my grandad. My grandad (who helped in a small way when the club reformed in the 60's and was in the world record Odsal crowd after walking in over a fence that had fallen down along with hundreds of others!) took my dad. My dad took me, apparently my first games were around 1986ish when I was 10, but I dont remember much of that other than spending the match days messing around on the grass banks (pretty sure I must have only got to go when the weather was good at that early age as I only remember sunny Odsal and dry grass from those early days!!)
I started going to actually watch the rugby (including rain/fog and snow) around 1990/1991, with 1992/1993 probably being my first full home season with the leeds and Halifax away games. Ironically it was when I went away to Uni in York in 94 that I realised what I missed and started going home and away with a season ticket from then on, travelling from Uni each week either home or away.
Now I dont live near Bradford and have a young family so getting to games is a lot harder, I still go with my dad and still get a season ticket each year (although not bought one yet this season) but generally lose money on it as I cant get to every home game. But my biggest regret of recent years is not getting to as many away games, I used to prefer the away trips, but now I have to pick and choose well in advance and last year only got to 2 away matches. Hoping to do more this year as there are some grounds I've not been to before.
Last season I took my two girls (7 and 9) to their first matches (at their request), they loved it, but not being in the area Im not sure how long they'll want to carry on going - but they did want to go to last weeks friendly game at Cas and are coming to the first home game of the season so we'll see, my family line of support from pre war might yet continue a little longer!
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14426.gif [img:b0x4g8gh]Http://trakt.tv/user/Bullsboy/widgets/watched/all-thin-fanart.jpg[/img:b0x4g8gh]:14426.gif |
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| Quote: Ferocious Aardvark "I must say that watching your first game somewhere like Post Office Road must be truly mind-blowing, as you stand so close to the play, you can almost feel the hits, the players look huge, and you can hear the impacts and get a far better impression of the speed and especially the sheer physicality of the game.
'"
Exactly as you describe. I remember Stu Fielden having a great game and were behind the sticks for a lot of tries (we put 80+ past them IIRC). It was a great introduction to the Greatest Game
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Jan 2012 | 13 years | |
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| My dad started taking me when I was a young kid in the early 70s and been going ever since. I remember I was deemed too young to go to Wembley in 73, so my dad and brother went and I watched it on Grandstand. Keith Mumby and Dave Redfearn were always my heroes growing up in the 70s
I did exactly the same with my lad,started taking him when he was about 2, he obviously didn't know much what was going on but I felt the need to repeat what my dad did with me. My lad was born in 96, just as Bullmania took off so he had all the baby wear they sold in the shop, I can remember a baby grow he had " Born to be a Bull" on it,got that one wrong ha
Northern/Bulls has been the biggest love of my life (1st wife included)
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| 1967 Australia v Northern lost 7 3, sat with a group of mates at the top of the banking at the far end of the ground and thought wow. Enjoyed the independence of going age 10 or 11, including a weekday CC match with Trinity at Headingley (Odsal was snow bound) where a friend and I went from the city centre on a special bus with no parents. Could that happen now, probably not! Followed them through thick & thin, hope the good times of SL can return for youngest son who was just too late for trophy wins and grandsons now on the scene. Apart from family biggest passion, shared my love of Northern/Bulls all over Europe & North America on travels!
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Jul 2012 | 12 years | |
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fonds noir/Wheezy.gif [i:13dzansg]Be careful what you wish for, one day you may get it![/i:13dzansg]:fonds noir/Wheezy.gif |
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| Quote: Mirfieldbull "1967 Australia v Northern lost 7 3, sat with a group of mates at the top of the banking at the far end of the ground and thought wow. Enjoyed the independence of going age 10 or 11, including a weekday CC match with Trinity at Headingley (Odsal was snow bound) where a friend and I went from the city centre on a special bus with no parents. Could that happen now, probably not! Followed them through thick & thin, hope the good times of SL can return for youngest son who was just too late for trophy wins and grandsons now on the scene. Apart from family biggest passion, shared my love of Northern/Bulls all over Europe & North America on travels!'"
You're right about the 10 & 11 year olds not travelling away unaccompanied. I went on the train to see Northern play York about that age, beans and chips in Woolworths before the game and back home at bedtime.
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The more he talked of his honour,the faster we counted our spoons.: |
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| I was an " Avenue fan" through and through,but had been to a few games at Odsal around the reformation time,but once Avenue sold Kevin Hector to Derby in 1966,that was me GONE to Odsal and I never looked back.Earliest memories Lionel Williamson,Smales,Stockwell,George Ambrum,Berwyn Jones,Terry Price,Terry Clawson.Johnny Rae,Ken Roberts,Peter Goddard,The Fish and the VASTNESS of the Odsal Bowl walking in as a 12/13 year old and the noise of the crowd below as you walked round the top and rushing to the steps at the end of the game to give the Ref what for.
Great times.
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International Star | 383 | |
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Jan 2013 | 12 years | |
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69606_1362859569.gif "I am Me, I am Free" "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
-Mahatma Gandhi...."Its not who Votes that count, It's who counts the Votes":d7dc4b20b2c2dd7b76ac6eac29d5604e_69606.gif |
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| I also was an Avenue fan, (Kevin Hector, Bert Gebbie) and all those old players. My dad took me to see "A real man's sport" and I will always remember Peter Goddard charging through the tackles...He was the biggest man I had ever seen..I was thrilled by the action and never looked back.. A Few weeks later I met another player who was even bigger...Albert Halsall who played for either Rochdale or Huyton? I forget which one, but after the match in the bar he bought me a Orange drink and then talked to my dad...Waaa he was my hero from then onward. Advancing on, I played a couple of matched for the U19's and in one of the matches someone from the Castleford side wanted to beat me to a pulp, but we had Frank Foster playing, coming back from injury....He had a quiet word and all was OK. My highlight was playing against Castleford (again) and scoring my one and only try....My mind went blank, I charged through them and fell over the try line....then got crushed in a bear hug by the young Francis Jarvis....Afterwards, I realized I never had it in me to even want to become full time, so got a good job, discovered what girl's can do to you, and so, been a fan ever since....
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The more he talked of his honour,the faster we counted our spoons.: |
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| lol,Frank Foster.Northern had wanted to drop Frank for weeks,but no one dared tell him.
A hard man in any era.
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International Star | 383 | |
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Jan 2013 | 12 years | |
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69606_1362859569.gif "I am Me, I am Free" "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
-Mahatma Gandhi...."Its not who Votes that count, It's who counts the Votes":d7dc4b20b2c2dd7b76ac6eac29d5604e_69606.gif |
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| Quote: madasmcmadammcmad2 "I was an " Avenue fan" through and through,but had been to a few games at Odsal around the reformation time,but once Avenue sold Kevin Hector to Derby in 1966,that was me GONE to Odsal and I never looked back.Earliest memories Lionel Williamson,Smales,Stockwell,George Ambrum,Berwyn Jones,Terry Price,Terry Clawson.Johnny Rae,Ken Roberts,Peter Goddard,The Fish and the VASTNESS of the Odsal Bowl walking in as a 12/13 year old and the noise of the crowd below as you walked round the top and rushing to the steps at the end of the game to give the Ref what for.
Great times.'"
"Rushing to the steps" bloody hummer, that brought back memories for me..one in particular. After the infamous battle between Northern and Wires I rushed up the steps to watch the officials and players ascend to the dressing rooms. It was all mayhem coming up and this stupid T*** in front of me took a swing at Dave Chisnall who was with the other wire prop(Pickles?) walking up. Chisnall turned around and looked straight at me !! then came towards me...that's when the code of not squealing disappeared from my itinerary.. I remember bleating "it wasn't me, it was him" but the t*** has gone...Luckily Brian Butler was behind them and told them to forget it....I really thought I had crapped myself...
About 15 years ago I met Brian again when he was the site Engineering foreman at Ammensford Open cast mine in Wales and we had a chuckle about it all. He looked just like Santa Claus with his big long white beard and .....Bottle Glasses... Ahhhh memories.....
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